Gaius Acilius Cotta

Gaius Acilius Cotta (205 AD Tarsus, Province of Cilicia, Roman Empire-263 AD Constantinople, Province of Bithynia, Eastern Roman Empire) was a Roman military officer in the 3rd century AD. A general of Emperor Valerian, Acilius defeated the Sassanid Empire at the Battle of Suwaib seven years before Valerian's capture by Shapur I of Persia in battle. His role in the Roman-Persian Wars was major, as his triumph over a larger Persian force was hailed as a triumph.

Biography
Acilius was son of Lucius Acilius Micianus and Lucia Julia, born to a plebeian family. The House of Acilii was a farm family from the Province of Cilicia in Asia Minor, and Acilius was partly of local Turkish descent. In 222 AD, Acilius started his military career with the Legio II Asiaticus and saw some action against the Arabs in the southeastern parts of the Roman Empire in Asia. During these campaigns, he took over as legate of the Legio II Asiaticus and saw some small victories over the Qidri and Minaeans before he returned home and retired. In 253 AD, he was invited to be the leader of a military expedition into the Sassanid Empire by his friend, the new emperor Valerian, and he accepted, coming out of retirement as a Veteranii to resume his fighting. With 9,100 troops, he defeated 11,000 Persians at the Battle of Suwaib that year and was granted a triumph by the Roman Senate, and he continued to fight in Mesopotamia until he fell ill in 260 AD. That same year, Valerian was captured in battle and died as a captive of the Persians, and Acilius returned to his estate. He was ashamed that he had "abandoned" Valerian, and lived his life in seclusion. He died in an estate in Constantinople, either of natural causes or suicide.